Balarama Stories in English For Kids

Here is a compilation of Balarama stories in English for Kids that will tell you more about Balarama’s birth and other fascinating incidents of his childhood.

Who is Balarama?

Balarama is the elder brother of Sri Krishna. Not everyone knows that he is also the son to be born to Maa Devaki and Vasudeva. 

It is a fact that Balarama is an avatar of the Great Serpent Adi Seshu on which Lord Vishnu sleeps in the Vaikuntha. As per the blessing of Lord Vishnu, the Adi Seshu takes the form of Balarama in Dwapara Yuga and performs many brave acts as Balarama along with Lord Vishnu in the form of Krishna. 

The relation between Krishna and Balarama

Balarama and Krishna were always together. They are never separable. The entire childhood that Krishna spends in Gokula, we can see Krishna and Balarama together. 

Be it while playing, fighting demons, and saving the Gokula, or stealing butter from neighbors, Krishna and Balarama were always together. 

The Birth of Balarama

Maa Devaki is the sister of Demon King Kamsa. He loved his sister so much. He married Devaki to the King of Vrishnis, Vasudeva. He is a Yadava king. After their marriage, as per the tradition, Kamsa has to send away Devaki to Vasudeva’s kingdom. But he loved his sister so much. So, he wanted to drop his sister and brother-in-law personally on his chariot. Thus, all the three were traveling on the chariot. 

As they traveled a certain distance, they heard a divine voice from the sky. It said, “Oh fool Kamsa! You love your sister so much. But, do you know that your killer will be born from your sister’s womb. You cannot escape your death from the 8th child born from your sister’s womb!”

Listening to this, all the three were utterly shocked. Immediately, Kamsa puts away his sister and brother-in-law in prison. Then he also starts killing every child that is born to Maa Devaki. Though the divine voice said that it is the eight children who are a threat to him, Kamsa never wanted to take the risk. So, he starts killing every child born to Maa Devaki and Nanda.

Then, when Maa Devaki turns pregnant for the seventh time, she pleads God to let her child live at least this time. Then, by the Maya of God, the embryo gets transferred to Maa Yashoda, who is living in the neighboring village, Gokula. Nanda, the husband of Yashoda is a close friend of Vasudeva too. And this embryo is none other than Balarama. He is born to Maa Yashoda, but he is also a child of Maa Devaki and Vasudeva.

Then during the eight times when Maa Devaki gets pregnant, she delivers a beautiful baby boy with charming eyes and a sky-colored complexion. He is none other than the cute and mischievous Lord Krishna. 

With the fear where Kamsa would kill the baby Krishna, Nanda takes him away in the basket, crosses a river, and puts him beside Maa Yashoda who just delivered another baby girl. 

He takes that baby girl and returns to the prison and convinces Kamsa that it is the girl who was born this time. 

Cruel Kamsa, with the fear of the prophecy, never stepped back from killing the girl child. He holds the girl child in his left hand and plans to beat her to the floor. 

But that girl child is none other than the Goddess Maya. She turns into Goddess and says to Kamsa, “You Cruel Kamsa, you got ready to kill me even without considering that I am a girl. But do you know? Your death is already born and growing safely somewhere else. Your countdown starts from today.” Saying this she disappears.

This is how Lord Balarama and Lord Krishna meet at Devaki and Nanda’s home and start growing together as affectionate brothers. 

Demon Keshi 

One day, when young Balarama and Krishna were playing outside with their friends, a huge demonic horse entered the premises. It is nothing else but a demon named Keshi who was sent by King Kamsa to kill Balarama and Krishna. Kamsa comes to know that Krishna is the child of Devaki and is still alive in Gokula, through Sage Narada. So, he keeps sending his assistant demons in various forms to search and kill Balarama and Krishna.

This demon Keshi assumes the form of a giant horse. It starts creating havoc in the Gokula and its surroundings. Seeing this, Balarama rushes to Krishna and informs him about this demonic horse. Then, Krishna rushes to the horse. He captures it heroically with both hands. He opens its jaws so wide that it anguishes in pain. He kills it and tosses it to a faraway distance.

Krishna eats Mud

This Balarama story happens when Krishna is an infant and in the crawling stage. Once, little Krishna was crawling outside his home. He sees his brother Balarama and his friends playing in the front of the house. He sits there and watches them in joy. Then, he feels naughty and bored. Little Krishna takes a handful of mud and keeps chewing it. 

Balarama, who is a responsible brother, always had an eye on Krishna. He knows he has to take care of him when his mother is busy with housework. So, Balarama sees that Krishna is eating something. Balarama runs to Krishna. He asks Krishna to open his mouth, but Krishna won’t. Being observant, Balarama finds mud in his brother’s hands. 

Immediately, Balarama rushes to his mother and tells her that Krishna is eating mud. Then Maa Yashoda rushes to Krishna. She asks him to open his mouth, but Krishna being naughty, won’t. 

Then she threatens to beat him and then Krishna opens his mouth. She could see the whole universe in his mouth. She gets astonished and does not understand what is happening. She recognizes that her child Krishna is no other than a divine form. 

But, Krishna plays his Maya on his mom. So, she soon forgets all just happened and gets back to her work.

Thus, Balarama plays an important role in Krishna’s feat to show the whole universe to Maa Yashoda.

Hope you understood who Balarama is, what is the relation between Balarama and Krishna, and the childhood stories of Krishna and Balarama. Thanks for reading our Balarama stories.